LINFIELD UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL VERSUS PACIFIC LUTHERAN • MARCH 23-24, 2024

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Fox (2) Noon

May 4 Willamette (2) Noon

May 5 at Willamette (2) 11 a.m.

May 10-12

May 17-19

May 24-25

May 30-June 5

Feb. 10 Pacific Lutheran 1 p.m.

Feb. 23 Eastern Oregon 6 p.m.

March 8 Whitman 6 p.m.

March 10 Whitworth 1 p.m.

March 12 Illinois Wesleyan TBA

March 19 Willamette 5 p.m.

March 23 at Pacific 1 p.m.

April 3 at George Fox 5 p.m.

April 7 at Puget Sound 1 p.m.

April 10 at Lewis & Clark 7 p.m.

April 13 at Whitworth 1 p.m.

April 14 at Whitman 1 p.m.

April 20 Pacific 1 p.m.

April 21 at Willamette 1 p.m.

April 24 George Fox 6 p.m.

April 27 Puget Sound 1 p.m.

May 4-5 at NWC Tournament TBA

Jan. 28 at Oregon TBA Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m. Feb. 11 Puget Sound 10 a.m. Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 10 a.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m. Feb. 25 British Columbia 10 a.m.

March 2 Willamette 11 a.m.

March 3 at George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 Whitman 11 a.m.

March 25 at Biola 2 p.m. March 28 at Pt. Loma Nazarene 2 p.m. March 31 at Puget Sound 10 a.m. April 6 at Pacific 11 a.m. April 13 Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

April 20-21 at NWC Championships TBA

Jan. 21 vs. Portland State 10 a.m. Jan. 28 at Oregon (exhibition) TBA

Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 2 p.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m. Feb. 19 UC-Santa Cruz 10 a.m.

March 2 at Willamette 11 a.m.

March 3 George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 at Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 at Whitman 11 a.m.

March 21 Wellesley 3 p.m.

March 27 at Occidental 4 p.m.

March 28 at Point Loma Nazarene 5 p.m.

March 31 Puget Sound 10 a.m.

April 6 Pacific 11 a.m.

April 13 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

April 20-21 at NWC Championships TBA

April

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WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

finding the middle ground

Jacey Leyvas believes striking a balance between taking softball seriously and having fun is vital to a healthy mindset

by KARLIE VERCAUTEREN ’27

Jacey Leyvas is the picture of balance, hustle, grit and a community mindset.

The Redlands, California, native was born into a sportsoriented family. As the youngest of four siblings, Leyvas has learned from watching her older sisters and brother, following in their footsteps in some areas, and charting her own path in others.

“Growing up as a younger sibling, I played up with my sister a lot, so I was always second choice because I was younger and smaller,” says Leyvas, reflecting on her childhood. “I had to build in that grit to motivate myself because not many people were giving me chances. Sooner or later, I realized I could compete with other people, and competing in itself is motivating.”

That drive to outperform others – and most importantly herself – was further instilled by Leyvas’s father, who was her coach growing up. She details how he “was constantly on me about trying to be the best person on the field and trying to push myself.”

Leyvas is grateful for having spent so much of her time on the field with her family, recognizing that it helped her “establish a good core value about sports” and the drive it takes to succeed as a student-athlete.

While Leyvas is very close to her family, she recalls “at an early age, I knew I didn’t want to be within arm’s reach of my family (during college).” She wanted space to grow and define her path on her own terms. While attending Linfield was not part of Leyvas’s original plan, she now recognizes that coming to the Pacific Northwest was the best place for her.

Leyvas says it was essential for her to joint a program “that played for something every year.” She has found that at Linfield. Leyvas attributes much of the excellent culture on the softball team to head coach Jackson Vaughan, “whose definition is that he hates losing.” While this standard comes with a hefty amount of pressure, Leyvas appreciates how detail-oriented Vaughan is, saying that “having a coach that cares about every single aspect of practice is rewarding.”

A team is not built by the coach alone, of course, and Leyvas has long been impressed by how her teammates push and support each other in equal measure. The actions of each player bring the team culture and performance to the next level.

“It’s easy to hear a coach say something,” she says, “but when the girls around you are also trying to feed that into your mindset, it’s contagious.”

The ’Cats proved their top-notch status by

making it to the NCAA Division III Finals last season, but once there, they stumbled. “We didn’t put our best foot forward,” says Leyvas. The sting of two straight losses was only enhanced by how much she had wanted to come out with a big win for the seniors and fifth-year players on the team, who had a huge role in shaping the dynamic Leyvas loves so much.

After the disappointing finish, though, the team was able to reflect on ways to make their hard work even more meaningful. Leyvas is feeling optimistic about their prospects for the 2024 season. Practicing and playing with a chip on their shoulders, the ‘Cats constantly asks themselves “Are we practicing like a national championship team?” If the answer is ever no, that is quickly remedied.

While Leyvas has no shortage of admiration and respect for her teammates and coaches, the people around her take note of the model she sets. Assistant coach Jordan Bennett describes Leyvas as “one of the most selfless girls on the team,” detailing how “Jacey never will say no and will do anything you ask of her with a great attitude. She leads through her actions mostly, which I think is the most effective way of setting a good example for the younger players around her, especially in the infield.”

Considering Leyvas’s work ethic, natural leadership skills, and love of people, it comes as no surprise that she is currently working to become a teacher. While the desire to teach may have originally stemmed from her older sister, it has been enhanced by the fantastic role models Leyvas has encountered over the years.

“Growing up and seeing teachers tap into students that weren’t really given a path to succeed was inspiring,” Leyvas shares. It helped her realize that she wants her efforts in contributing to the lives of others to be focused on mental aspects. Her secondary education and psychology majors are giving her the opportunity to explore what she loves and learn more about “how people think, how people work.”

Still, Leyvas has no intention of leaving softball behind when she graduates.

“I would also love to be part of the athletic program at whatever high school I teach at. I love helping people fall in love with the sport,” she says, recalling how much she enjoys helping her father and sister coach their travel teams when she visits home.

Confident in the bright future ahead of her, Leyvas is living through her sport and her team right now, focusing with her fellow ‘Catballers’ on “understanding that we play the sport because we love it. Being able to have fun while playing and being serious,” she says, is essential to maintaining a good balance.

AROUND THE NATION

Rolling to a 6-0 week, Linfield remains the only unbeaten team that is also ranked among the Top 10 in the NFCA poll

Reigning national champion Trine added four more victories this week to continue rolling atop the NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.

The (16-1) Thunder went 4-0 at the Pioneer Classic, including a 5-3 ranked win over host Transylvania. They have now won 12 straight since suffering their only loss of the season, by just one run, 4-3 to nationally-ranked Christopher Newport in a matchup of the last two Division III titlists on March 3 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

Second-ranked Salisbury (12-1) went 7-1 at its own Margie Knight Classic, but lost 5-1 to No. 23 Lynchburg in its tournament opener. The 2023 NCAA runner-up Sea Gulls did rebound to defeat the Hornets 6-5 in their second game and also beat new No. 25 The College of New Jersey at that event.

NFCA Leadoff champion Linfield (10-0) solidified its hold on the third spot by reaching double digits in wins with a home doubleheader sweep of SUNY Oneonta and a four-game road

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conference sweep of Whitworth on the West Coast.

No. 4 East Texas Baptist (14-1) held steady with a three-game conference sweep of Concordia, highlighted by Avery Holland’s five-inning no-hitter in the second game of the series. Christopher Newport (11-2) remained fifth despite losing its rivalry game with Virginia Wesleyan, 3-1, which catapulted the (8-3) Marlins from 13th to No. 9 this week.

Berry (21-3), one of two 20-win teams in the rankings, and Case Western (13-2) stayed put at No. 6 and 7, while No. 8 Belhaven (18-3) joined Virginia Wesleyan in gaining four spots. Bethel (11-3) rounds out the top 10.

No. 14 Tufts (6-0) got its season going with six victories in Florida, while 17th-ranked MIT opened Tuesday at home against Brandeis. The other two teams without a loss in this week’s poll are No. 18 Pfeiffer (20-0) and No. 21 Rensselaer Polytechnic (8-0).

One-loss Dominican (15-1), which matched top-ranked Trine with a 4-0 mark at the Pioneer Classic, and Lynchburg are the two newcomers to the rankings.

NFCA

DEL SMITH STADIUM

Del Smith Stadium has steadily evolved into a jewel among college softball facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Named in honor of trustee emeritus and longtime Linfield College athletics supporter Del Smith, the facility slowly took shape over a 30-year period.

In 1990, the softball field became a permanent, softball-only facility. Prior to the 1990 season, the softball field was also used as the Wildcats’ soccer field in the fall. At that time, the field underwent a facelift as the playing surface was moved back 25 feet from the street to allow for portable bleachers, a temporary outfield fence was installed and a single batting cage was erected.

In 1995, a substantial upgrade was undertaken which added two covered team dugouts and a home-team dressing room. In addition, a six-foot cyclone fence was installed around the field’s perimeter.

The move toward permanent seating began in 1997 when an elevated platform was constructed. Stadium lighting was added in 2001. By 2008, an all-aluminum 400-seat grandstand replaced three sets of portable bleachers, doubling seating capacity.

An enclosed pressbox replaced a makeshift plywood shelter that provided protection from the weather for statisticians and game officials. During the same period of

time, an enhanced scoreboard with capability to display each score by inning, replaced the aging model in right field.

The facility took another major step forward in 2010 with the completion of two covered and partially enclosed batting cages beyond the outfield wall.

More improvements followed in the fall of 2020. The perimeter of the field was completely encircled with mesh branding, honoring Linfield’s graduated All-Americans as well as the Wildcats’ many conference, regional and national championships. New branded padding was added to the backstop and new netting system was installed.

HEAD COACH JACKSON VAUGHAN

Jackson Vaughan has transformed the Linfield softball program into an annual national-championship contender during 21 seasons as coach. Vaughan has amassed a career record of 776-192-2, including a 48188 mark in the Northwest Conference. Over the past two decades, he has led Linfield to unprecedented success, a span that includes the 2007 and 2011 NCAA Division III national championships, nine regional titles and 15 conference crowns. Twice, in 2007 and 2011, he was honored as the Division III Coach of the Year by the NFCA and has been named NWC Coach of the Year 11 of the last 15 seasons. He was selected as the top coach in the West Region in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. In 2004, he engineered an upset of No. 1-ranked East Texas Baptist in the regional playoffs. In 2011, Vaughan

guided the Wildcats to their second national championship and third NCAA title appearance in five seasons.

Prior to becoming head coach, he served four seasons as a Wildcats assistant softball coach. He has served as a defensive coordinator and assistant football coach for the past 25 years, helping the Wildcats amass a 188-32 record since 2000. Linfield qualified for the Division III playoffs 14 of the last 20 seasons and captured the 2004 national championship with a 13-0 record.

A native of Hereford, Oregon, Vaughan received a bachelor’s degree from Linfield in accounting in 1997, graduating with honors.

He and his wife, Shelly, live in McMinnville with their three daughters, Hallie, Reese and Finley.

MEET THE WILDCATS

TIANI WAYTON| 1

5-4 | Junior | OF Kailua, Hawaii

TAYAH KELLEY | 2 5-7 | Senior | RHP Myrtle Creek, Oregon

claire seats | 5 5-7 | Junior | OF Seattle, Washington

savannah fitzgerald| 7

5-4 | Grad Student | C Twin Falls, Idaho

cydney hess | 11 5-10 | Sophomore | 3B/1B West Linn, Oregon

sophia vandersommen|15

5-6 | Junior | OF Tigard, Oregon

ashley sutton |16 5-8 | Junior | C Monroe, Oregon

ashlyn aven | 20 5-7 | Sophomore | 3B/C Yelm, Washington

Tyler mcneley | 26

5-10 | Freshman | P Lakeview, Oregon

jacey leyvas | 8 5-7 | Junior | 1B Redlands, California

brynn nelson|9 5-6 | Junior | 2B Bonney Lake, Washington

kate kraljev| 6 5-7 | Sophomore | 3B/OF Happy Valley, Oregon

Hadley Dunham |14 5-6| Freshman | U Walla Walla, Washington

tyler warden | 25 5-10 | Senior | RHP Monroe, Oregon

Annika Dayberry| 22 5-5 | Freshman | OF Redmond, Washington

MACKENZIE BURKE | 34 5-6 | Junior | P/OF Kirlkland, Washington

Lexiss Antle| 28 5-7 | Freshman | 3B Gaston, Oregon

Sydney ries | 3 5-9 | Freshman | OF Moses Lake, Washington

KYla Cross | 4 5-4 | Sophomore | OF Bonney Lake, Washington

kaili saathoff| 17 6-0 | Junior | 1B Philomath, Oregon

hailey wadsworth| 30 5-6 | Junior | P Happy Valley, Oregon

MeAra Sain| 33 5-6 | Freshman | OF/2B Eugene, Oregon

Natalie brinda | 13 5-8 | Sophomore | SS Portland, Oregon

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LINFIELD WILDCATS

HEAD COACH: Jackson Vaughan (23rd year)

COACHES: Jamie Vasas, Amanda Knopf, Jordan Bennett, Emma Podliska

Brady Crenshaw, Jackson Pfeifer

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PACIFIC LUTHERAN LUTES

HEAD COACH: Traci Barrett (fifth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Ron Balmer, Tori Hamura, Cindy Van Hulle, Cassidy Conrad, Taylor Shigeta, Troy Greenfield, Dustin Prater, Daryl Ashpole

LINFIELD VERSUS PACIFIC LUTHERAN

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THE RECORDS

Linfield continues to roll after piling up six victories last week against SUNY-Oneonta and Whitworth. The Wildcats are 10-0 on the early season and sit tied atop the Northwest Conference with a 4-0 record. Linfield now shifts its focus to four games against Pacific Lutheran (5-7) this weekend.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

The Wildcats lead the Northwest Conference in batting average (.420) and team ERA (0.70). Tayah Kelley is coming off back-toback weeks of being named Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week. Kelley leads the NWC in wins (7), strikeouts (50), complete games (5) and ERA (0.21). Behind her, freshman Tyler McNeley holds a 1.46 ERA in five appearances. Kaili Saathoff leads the ‘Cats with a .650 batting average while Meara Sain (.548) and Claire Seats (.500) also rank among the NWC leaders. Seats leads the Wildcats with three home runs while Brynn Nelson and Cydney Hess each have two.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN AT A GLANCE

Pacific Lutheran hits .270 as a team and holds a 2.79-team ERA. Casey Wright leads the Lutes in batting average at .400 and RBIs (9) while also tying for the team lead in home runs with two and hits with 12. Paola Garcia is second on the Lutes in RBIs with eight and has two home runs. Paige Wilson leads the Pacific Lutheran pitching staff with 38 innings pitched while holding a 3.08 ERA. Rachel Rhinehart has pitched the second-most innings for the Lutes with 26.1.

SERIES HISTORY

The Wildcats are 71-49 all-time versus the Lutes. Linfield holds a 41-21 record at home against Pacific Lutheran and averages 4.67 runs per contest. The ‘Cats are 8-2 in the last 10 meetings and are looking to extend a six-game series win streak.

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2024 LINFIELD WILDCATS

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Back row (l to r): Assistant Coach Jamie Vasas, Assistant Coach Jordan Bennett, Assistant Coach Amanda Knopf, Ashlyn Aven, Sophia vanderSommen, Kaili Saathoff, Cydney Hess, Hadley Dunham, Ashley Sutton, Mackenzie Burke, Tyler McNeley, Tyler Warden, Lexiss Antle, Natalie Brinda, Kate Kraljev, Head Coach Jackson Vaughan. Front row: Assistant Coach Emma Podliska, Sydney Ries, Hailey Wadsworth, Brynn Nelson, Tayah Kelley, Savannah Fitzgerald, Kyla Cross, Claire Seats, Jacey Leyvas, Tiani Wayton, Meara Sain.

Taste the bounty of the region in unexpected ways.

Now taking reservations for our new Seasons menu celebrating the micro-seasons from our farm. Also duck into our cozy Cellar Bar for farm-inspired cocktails, our six-course tasting menu or a la carte bites.

can’t attend the game? catch the action on the lsn

The Linfield Sports Network continues to bring fans live action of all home Linfield softball games in 2024. Fans can enjoy live and on-demand video webcasts and playby-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or Smart TV.

Live coverage begins 15 minutes prior to the start of each contest. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown.

LSN broadcasts are under the direction of the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordinator Joe Stuart.

In his third year in the position, Stuart oversees all technical production and management of LSN broadcasts as well as providing play-by-play commentary on football, basketball, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to overseeing streaming efforts for volleyball, tennis and soccer.

All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed by way of golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or through the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.

From

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

softball STANDINGS

LInfield’s Tayah Kelley and Brynn Nelson sweep Northwest Conference weekly awards

Linfield’s Tayah Kelley and Brynn Nelson swept the Northwest Conference softball Student-Athlete of the Week awards in a release from the conference announced on Monday. Kelley was named NWC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season, while Nelson earned NWC Position Player of the Week. The ‘Cats went 6-0 last week with wins against SUNY-Oneonta and Whitworth.

Kelley pitched 22 innings over Linfield’s six games. Against SUNY-Oneonta, Kelly pitched a complete game, giving up one run and pilling up 12 strikeouts. On March 16 against Whitworth, Kelley pitched another complete game without surrendering a run while adding 10 strikeouts.

On March 17, Kelley pitched a no-hitter in a complete five innings of work and came in to pitch the final three innings to earn the win in the series finale and moved her win total to four on the week. The Myrtle Creek, Ore., native leads the Northwest Conference in ERA (0.21), complete games (5) and wins (7).

Nelson tallied at least one hit in all six games last week and finished last week with 12 total hits. The Bonney Lake, Wash., added seven runs, five RBIs and a stolen base. Nelson ranks among the NWC leaders in batting average (.429), home runs (2) and hits (12).

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NFCA again honors Kelley with weekly award

For the second time in three weeks, Linfield’s Tayah Kelley was named Wilson/NFCA Division III Pitcher of the Week by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The senior righthander helped the Wildcats to six wins last week with two victories over SUNY-Oneonta and four road wins over Northwest Conference foe Whitworth.

Kelley made four appearances last week, totaling 22 innings while recording her third career no-hitter. The Myrtle Creek, Ore., native notched three wins as a starter and earned her fourth in three innings of relief work in the series finale against the Pirates. Kelley tallied 34 strikeouts while only surrendering seven hits and three walks.

Kelley holds a 0.21 ERA which leads the NWC. Linfield also leads the conference leaderboard in team ERA at 0.70.

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PROUD PARTNER OF LINFIELD ATHLETICS

LINFIELD ALL-AMERICANS

NAME YEAR HONOR

Katie Harding 1997 NAIA Second Team

Shelly Steinke 2006 NFCA Third Team

Jenny Marshall 2007 NFCA First Team

Stephanie Rice 2007 NFCA Third Team

Jenny Marshall 2008 NFCA First Team

Stephanie Rice 2008 NFCA First Team

Brittany Miller 2008 NFCA Second Team

Brittany Miller 2009 NFCA First Team

Staci Doucette 2009 NFCA First Team

Alex Hartmann 2009 NFCA Third Team

Emily Keagbine 2009 NFCA Third Team

Staci Doucette 2010 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2010 NFCA First Team

Alex Hartmann 2010 NFCA Third Team

Emily Keagbine 2010 NFCA Third Team

Staci Doucette 2011 NFCA First Team

Emilee Lepp 2011 NFCA First Team

Emily Keagbine 2011 NFCA First Team

Kayla Hubrich 2011 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2011 NFCA Second Team

NAME YEAR HONOR

Claire Velaski 2011 NFCA Third Team

Emilee Lepp 2012 NFCA First Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2012 NFCA First Team

Staci Doucette 2012 NFCA First Team

Karina Paavola 2012 NFCA Third Team

Karleigh Prestianni 2013 NFCA First Team

Lisa Yamamoto 2013 NFCA First Team

Erin Carson 2013 NFCA Second Team

Ashley Garcia 2014 NFCA First Team

Karina Paavola 2014 NFCA Third Team

Melanie Oord 2016 NFCA Second Team

Cheyenne Fletcher 2017 NFCA Second Team

Melanie Oord 2018 NFCA Third Team

Makenna Clizer 2019 NFCA Third Team

Katie Phillip 2022 NFCA First Team

Tayah Kelley 2022 NFCA Second Team

Katie Phillips 2023 NFCA First Team

Tayah Kelley 2023 NFCA First Team

Claire Seats 2023 NFCA Second Team

Kaili Saathoff 2023 NFCA Second Team

Hear

THE TOPCAT CLUB

The Linfield University TopCat Club serves as a support organization to the 21 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and the more than 500 students who participate in athletics each year. Each year, support from the TopCat Club is essential to maintaining and expanding each of these programs.

The mission of the TopCat Club is to provide students with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the overall Linfield athletics program.

At Linfield, we continually strive to improve programs and facilities so that our teams may compete at the highest level. Roughly 75 percent of the athletic department’s annual operating budget comes from the university’s general fund. The remainder is generated through a wide variety of external sources, including annual gifts to the Linfield TopCat Club.

To learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the TopCat Club website at www.linfieldtopcat.com